Thread-tension device



THRE Fl L Jan. 9, i923.

wh/was Patented Jan. 9, 1923.

WALTERIITAYLQR AND SAMUEL nrivnnn, or FALL larven, '.iuAssAenUsnfrfrs,

Assrenons yor onn-triirianro-WILLIAMIE. `evitan, errant-arves, MAssA- CHUSETTS.

THREAD-,TENSION DEVICE.

Applicatoirledl/[arch 16, 1922. SverialANo. 544,231.

To all `ive/0m 'may concern Be 1t known kthat we, .lVALTnR fTAYLoR `and SAMUEL'HINDLE,,citizens of theUnited States, residing; at,lilallzRiver,A in the county otBristol and VState of Massachusetts, have invented A certain new and useful Vlinprovements in, Thread-,'leusion Devices;` and .we

do declare the following, to bea full, clear, and exact ,description of the: invention, such Yas ,w'illenable others skilled inthe art to Awhiehit appertains to make .andiise `the same.

This .invention relates to .an vimproved thread `tensionv device which, is designed to i. be` yused in connection Awlithf thread @spooling and winding devices suchas are used in cot this surface being movable and such in con-V structionfthat it ,permits .one or Amore .of the tension. Velements toA4 be rendered inoperative so thatthe tension can be accurately'regu-` Alated toract oirne orflcoarse Vthreadfand yarn. f

Other objects ventionavill: be apparent .durinothe course of the following description. A

`In the accompanying drawing/is forming a A Apart of this speciiication. and .inAwhich .like

numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same:y

Figure 1 4is a side elevational View ,of a .thread tensioning deviceconstructed in .ac-

cord ance with thisr invention.

lPigiu-esl 2 and jl are :tirent and .rearAele/va tional views `oit the device .respectively.Y

Figura/ffl .A is an .enlargedfAdetail ,section and advantages; oilftheI in-` saine end,y the bracket is toimedwith lan integral tapered spindle 3 designedto accoinmodate the bobbin (not shown). kThe upper endA of the bracket; is ,directed laterally Vand curved as indicated lat 1i and is providedat its free end with a laterally disposed thread guide 5. `llinphasis is not, to be laidon the lconstriuz-tionot the supporting bracket, because in practice, any suitableA designlnay A.The invention resides,Aas before indicated,

in, the revision of novel thread tensioning` y means rwhich Lis supported 0n the upper .curved portion l of the bracket.` ABrQadly speaking, `the `tension n means comprises a.

friction surface `over whichthe thread de! signed toA pass, this surface being` so kdesigned that when in a certain .positionit permits the .threads tobe relieved of pressure. A Associ- Iajted lwith this peculiarlydesigned friction n surface are a plurality et tension elements which .f operate Aindependent ot eachother Iand serve to press the thread against the One lor ,incre oit these' elefriction surface.

ments may be rendered ineiiective ,b f,I.1i v-y ing the friction suitaceina manner, to; pre- .vent `contact ofthe thread with Athe.jdesfirenil element, or elements. Specilically described, the above ends are.accomplishedy by employingl a lrotary,member o'rjdrum G having a greoved periphery 7 constituting the yaforesaid friction` surface, this surfacefbeing de- Apressed orcounter-grooved as indicated at 8 to Serve an important purpose te'. Abe'hereinafter, clearly fset forth, Vfhile on the drinn, at may be well to point out that it is4 provided .on one side with airinclined or rlaterally directed retaining flange 9A whichlilrewise seri/es a purpose Ato be made evident by the itollowiner description. As above intimated,

a plurality et separa-tc and independently operablefriction elements inthe torni vot steel balls 'l0 are employed iter (fe-.operation Awith the thread T which is ,designed to pass over the `g'ioovedperiphery the drinn `lee-1100 neath the-balls. For said drinn and-purpose 0i maintaining the balls in Operative relam tionivith respect-to the friction surface, we

make use 4et an arcuate holdercll having,r stops, 12 between which theseveralballsare 105 Aconlineil." This holder may Abe equipped A with` an arm i3 ,by -rneAansAe't-which itwill be connected to the bracket in the ina-nner shown. In actual practice however, the

holder maybe made an integral part of the suitable supporting rodl and a bobbin filled `with thread is placedon the spindle 5, and

the thread is passed through the guide 5 and overy the friction surface or groovedpe-fA surface, whereby to permit one or more of riphery 7 of the rotaryy member 6 beneath the ballA tension elementsv l0 which exert suiiicient pressure on the thread to maintain it under an equal and uniform tension. .When the member 6 is in j .in Fig.l 6 all four of the balls bear upon the thread. However, by looseningv the nuts' the position shown on the bolt'which serves as a mounting for this member 6 and moving` the latter to a position .so that the depression or counter# groove 8 is disposed upwardly, the balls are yprevented from contactingthe` thread.v According to the position of the `friction surj face, one or more, or even all ofthe balls Theballs are capable of vertical and Linde-` can be maintained in a position where they will not exert lany pressure on the thread.

pendent movement to compensate for knots and varying thicknesses of the cord and yarn and for this reason, the latter is seldom broken. From the foregoingdeseription it will be seen that wey have devised, an extremely novel andfadvantageous thread tensioning device which is such asto permit the tension to be varied to accommodate different thicknesses of threads. rlfhe adjustment is accuratev and can be changedk rapidly. inasmuch as persons skilled in the'art to which the invenj j tion relates` will. doubtless` be able to obtain ,45 Y i i n reading thedescription in connection with a clear understanding of the saine after the drawings, a more lengthy description ywill be omitted.

Since probably the best resultsmay be" obtained ywith the construction and arrangement herein shown and described,` this is taken the preferred embediment'of the invention. However, we wish it understood that minor changes coming` within the scope l container for maintaining the balls in operative position, said harige beingmoved of the invention. as claimed may be resorted kto if desired.

'We claim :A

.VA thread tension devicev includingY a..

friction surface formed with a depression, anda plurality of tension elements arranged whenzthepulleyis vrotated to per.V

effective when the depression is positioned therebeneath.

2. A thread tension device including,r a

Vfriction surface `having` a cut away portion lwhereinv saidtension means comprises a substantially horiontal row of ballfweights which contact the thread, one or more of `saidballs being moved out of contactwith ythe thread when' said body is adjusted.

(i. .A thread tensioning device embodying,` a plurality of ball-weights to contact the thread and placeit under tension, andan adjustable body .having a friction surface against which the thread is pressed, said surface embodyinomeans movable toward I and from the balls to renderone or more of them ineffective.

` 7. A thread tensioning device embodying an adjustable pulley and having a grooved 'periphery over which the thread is drawn,

an arcuate substantially box-like ball container supportedadjacent the periphery of saidpulley, saidV container having` its bottom and one side open, a plurality'of balls arranged in said container and passing through the open bottom to press the thread 'aga-inst .the peripheryl of the pulley, said balls being removable vthrough saidy open side of they container, and a guard flange on the p ulley opposite the open side of said moval ofone or more of the balls. l

In testimony whereof wehavehereunto set our hands.

' WALTER TAYLOR. SAMUEL HINDLE. 

